Trading AntiCommunism for AntiTerrorism
According to Herman and Chomsky in their article "Manufactiuring Consent-The Political Economy of the Mass Media", the fifth filter that influences the mass media to the extent that it becomes 'A Propaganda Model' is "AntiCommunism as a Control Mechanism":
"Communism as the ultimate evil has always been the spector haunting property owners, as it threatens the very root of their class position and superior staus...and because the concept is fuzzy, it can be used against anybody advocating policies that threaten property interests or support accomodation with communist states or radicalism." Well, communism, or the threat imposed by it, is dead. The United States 'won the cold war', thus depriving the Federal Government a fear mongering club to beat the civil rights out of it's citizens a la MaCarthyism. But never fear! Stalin and Mao Zedong have been replaced by Ossama Bin Laden, Abu Qatada, and many more radical Muslims whose names you can't pronounce. Thanks guys for stepping in to take their place! Thanks to them, we have the Patriot Act (an acnonym which stands for : Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001) Thanks to those 3,000 Americans who gave their lives on 9/11, the feds can now hold people without trial, tap your phone, and ruin your life with false accusations just like back in the good old 1950's (remember 'Happy Days?). Fear of communism slanted the media (and public opinon) in the 50's, and fear of Terrorism does the same for us today.
"Communism as the ultimate evil has always been the spector haunting property owners, as it threatens the very root of their class position and superior staus...and because the concept is fuzzy, it can be used against anybody advocating policies that threaten property interests or support accomodation with communist states or radicalism." Well, communism, or the threat imposed by it, is dead. The United States 'won the cold war', thus depriving the Federal Government a fear mongering club to beat the civil rights out of it's citizens a la MaCarthyism. But never fear! Stalin and Mao Zedong have been replaced by Ossama Bin Laden, Abu Qatada, and many more radical Muslims whose names you can't pronounce. Thanks guys for stepping in to take their place! Thanks to them, we have the Patriot Act (an acnonym which stands for : Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001) Thanks to those 3,000 Americans who gave their lives on 9/11, the feds can now hold people without trial, tap your phone, and ruin your life with false accusations just like back in the good old 1950's (remember 'Happy Days?). Fear of communism slanted the media (and public opinon) in the 50's, and fear of Terrorism does the same for us today.
posted by Paul C at 2:12 PM
1 Comments:
A good post.
Can we just substitute anti-terrorism for anti-communism in this media model? What changes with this switch?
For example, "terrorism" is not a coherent ideology like communism, nor is it supported by any major nation-state like the former Soviet Union. Perhaps that doesn't matter.
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